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FEEDER'S DIGEST

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 18, 2008

SEAFOOD

BACKFIN BLUE CAFE, 2913 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport; (727) 343-2583. Be prepared to wait at this funky, friendly cafe that showcases the crab - owner-chef Harold Russell cooks about 150 pounds a week. Good suggestions include the Backfin Blue Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, portobello mushrooms and a macadamia nut-crusted fish dinner. ($)

BONEFISH GRILL, 5901 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, (727) 521-3434; 3635 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, (813) 876-3535 (check the telephone book for other locations). Fresh seafood lures diners to this likable grill. Choose the fish - grouper, salmon, sea bass and mahi mahi - and then a topper such as lime-tomato garlic, mango or lemon butter sauce. You'll also find sirloin, jerk pork tenderloin, chicken and other sauteed specialties. ($-$$)

CATCH TWENTY-THREE, 10103 Montague St. (West Park Village Town Center), Westchase; (813) 920-0045. Catch Twenty-Three prepares fresh seafood in contemporary, creative ways. The menu lists sources of certified fresh fish: salmon from Scottish waters, tuna from Costa Rica, scallops from Massachusetts and grouper from Florida's Gulf coast. Fillets are brushed with olive oil and Key lime juice and cooked over pecan wood. We had good luck with the Sun Tan Salmon, Black Grouper, Peppercorn Encrusted Tuna, and Shrimp Scampi Caribbean. ($-$$)

THE CRAB SHACK, 11400 Gandy Blvd., St. Petersburg; (727) 576-7813. It's called The Crab Shack, and that's just what diners can expect: a shabby, authentic-looking fisherman's shack. Blue crabs, fish, oysters, spicy Cajun Creole soup and smoked mullet have kept patrons hooked for more than a decade. The menu also boasts about a dozen appetizers, a vast selection of sandwiches, a land lover's section (steak and chicken) and a couple of salads. The colossal Super Sea Food Feast features grouper, shrimp, scallops, clam strips and a crab cake, all lightly breaded and fried. The broiled grouper was perfectly cooked and topped with a blue crab and bread crumb stuffing that offered more meat than bread. And the Corvina Style Dinner, a house specialty, features a whole fish, usually in the snapper family, seasoned and deep fried. ($)

CRAZY CONCH CAFE, 1110 Pinellas Bayway, No. 206, Tierra Verde; (727) 865-0633. Louisiana, Mexico, Florida and Texas are among the culinary influences at former Captiva chef Michael Peel's Tierra Verde restaurant. Seafood Gumbo with andouille sausage, Smothered Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya, Steven's Shrimp and Grits and Blackened Local Red Grouper are spicy choices at this casual cafe overlooking Tampa Bay. Chocolate terrine, apple crisp, lime cheesecake and rum Bundt cake are great desserts. ($$-$$$)

FRENCHY'S ROCKAWAY GRILL & BEACH CLUB, 7 Rockaway St., Clearwater Beach; (727) 446-4844. Visitors to Clearwater Beach are familiar with the Frenchy's restaurant empire, where fresh seafood can be found at affordable prices. But Frenchy's Rockaway Grill & Beach Club has one advantage the others don't - outdoor dining on a patio deck smack on the beach. The extensive menu is filled with appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches. Nightly dinner specials range from steaks and seafood platters to pasta and ribs. Fresh seafood, of course, is a mainstay of the menu. ($)

HURRICANE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT, 807 Gulf Way, St. Pete Beach; (727) 360-9558. The Hurricane, with its second-floor, sea-view dining room, looks nothing like its former beach shack self. But the famous Fresh Grouper Sandwich is still on the menu, people still complain about the wimpy bun, and most of the food is still under $10. Appetizers and desserts are good. Entrees are uneven. ($)

ISLAND WAY GRILL, 20 Island Way, Clearwater Beach; (727) 461-6617. Wall-to-wall patrons jam this Pan-Asian seafood stop. Favorites from chef-partner Tom Pritchard's kitchen include Szechwan Pepper Crusted Tuna, Vietnamese King Crab Rolls and Wok-Seared Scallops. Landlubbers have plenty to choose, too, with a dozen steaks, Javanese Pork Tenderloin, Hawaiian Kona Rack of Lamb and Volcano Island Meatloaf. Save room for a dessert sampler, with ginger Creme Brulee, Warm Molten Lava Chocolate Cake and Key lime pie. ($$-$$$)

KEEGAN'S SEAFOOD GRILLE, 1519 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach; (727) 596-2477. As the name implies, seafood is the main attraction at this laid-back beach eatery. The eclectic menu features dishes such as Pan-Seared Wahoo over Asian Slaw, Amarillo Char-Broiled Swordfish, and Andouille and Scallop Stuffed Tilapia. Salmon Piccata sauteed with lemon and capers is a tasty choice, as is the Parmesan-Crusted Mahi Mahi served with black bean salsa. You'll also find salads, sandwiches and decadent desserts. ($-$$)

LANDRY'S SEAFOOD HOUSE, 7616 Courtney Campbell Parkway, Tampa; (813) 289-7773. The seafood palace on the shore of Tampa Bay may remind some of a Disney dining room, so grand is the scale. But the fish, fresh and creatively presented, lives up to the view. There's tuna, flounder, catfish, grouper, red snapper, salmon, shrimp galore, crab, lobster (tail and whole), oysters, plus five pasta dishes and a few chicken and beef choices. Diners select seafood, then sauces and toppings, which include Roasted Red Pepper and more. ($$)

THE LOBSTER POT, 17814 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores; (727) 391-8592. The place to go to get out of your shell and into something else's. Comfortable but cultured: The bowling shirt's OK, but please use your napkin. Lobster selection here is the best around. Go for the African tails - tender and sweet - and you won't be disappointed. Aside from lobster, there's a wide array of fresh fish, prepared in numerous ways. Nightly specials plump a menu that's already fat with choice. Don't pass over the Escargot Eugen. It is one of the finest man has known. ($$)

MANGROVES SEAFOOD GRILLE AND BAR, 208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa; (813) 258-3302. Readers are forever calling to ask about fresh seafood, and we point them toward Mangroves Seafood Grille and Bar, where luscious catches from the ocean are the marquee event. Consider the Tower of Spicy Tuna Tar-tar with Korean chiles; plantain-crusted Tiger Prawns on a grilled pineapple disc; bamboo steamed Atlantic salmon atop a heavenly coconut-ginger rice cake; and sauteed Chilean sea bass wrapped in purple Peruvian potato sheets. Carnivores will want to sink their fangs into the 16-ounce, premium, dry-aged Angus Buckhead rib-eye drizzled with green peppercorn reduction. ($$-$$$)

MARLIN DARLIN' GRILL, 2819 West Bay Drive, Belleair Bluffs; (727) 584-1700. When you sink a small fortune into decor, offer fresh seafood, hire a crack serving staff and stock the bar with a strong list of beer and wine, you have the recipe for success. This fine catch not far from the Gulf is a favorite among locals, especially for just about anything from the sea. Early birds can enjoy a dozen entrees for $10. ($$-$$$)

MID PENINSULA SEAFOOD MARKET & RESTAURANT, 400 49th St. S., St. Petersburg; (727) 327-8309. You won't find escargot and fancy sauces at this no-frills eatery. The menu is loaded with fish selections, though, including sea bass, snapper and grouper, which can be ordered fried, grilled, scampi, blackened or steamed. Non-seafood eaters will find sirloin burgers, corn dogs and chicken. For dessert, try the red velvet cake. ($-$$)

MITCHELL'S FISH MARKET, 204 West Shore Plaza, Tampa; (813) 289-3663. Rich wood, nautical lights and images of majestic ships adorn the dining rooms, and visitors can peek through the glass of a cold room to observe seafood being prepped. Mitchell's can be packed to the gills on any given night, and its 80-item menu seems to appeal to the hordes of tourists and mall shoppers who line up for tables. The menu features black grouper, a seafood platter, Atlantic salmon, Maine lobster and other goodies. ($$)

MONSTAH LOBSTAH, 1700 S. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa; (813) 837-0800 (check the telephone book for other locations). Fresh Maine lobster is the ticket at Monstah Lobstah, a rustic little haunt doing a brisk business, mostly takeout. Don't expect fine dining or tables - this place is blue jeans casual and the majority of patrons grab a dinner to go. The menu includes lobster with corn on the cob and potato salad; lobster rolls; and New England chowder. Bring your own beer if you want to eat in. ($-$$)

MYSTIC FISH SEAFOOD GRILL & BAR, 3253 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor; (727) 771-1800. Chef Doug Bebell, a Lobster Pot alumnus, is creative with ingredients in dishes such as Lobster Escargot Style, Black & Blue Tuna and Oven Roasted Chilean Sea Bass. The restaurant serves steaks, chicken and lamb as well. ($-$$)

NICK'S PIZZA & SEAFOOD, 1203 Gulf Road, Tarpon Springs; (727) 937-3444 or (727) 937-0882. Nick's specialty is combination pizzas, seafood (a good bet is the U-Peel-Um Pepper Shrimp), spaghetti and sandwiches. ($)

OYSTERCATCHERS, 6200 Courtney Campbell Parkway, Tampa; (813) 207-6815. Few restaurants capture the spirit of Florida dining quite like Oystercatchers at the Hyatt Regency Westshore. Windows point to the sun's descent over Old Tampa Bay. Inside, cool colors borrowed from nature complete the theme. Fish selections include American red snapper, Florida mahi-mahi, Norwegian salmon, New Zealand orange roughy, Gulf Coast black grouper, Atlantic swordfish, yellowfin tuna, Idaho rainbow trout and Louisiana pompano. ($$)

RED FISH BLUE FISH, 2901 Alternate 19 N., Palm Harbor; (727) 772-7060. Generous portions of fresh seafood lure diners to this colorful, family-friendly spot. The Sea Sampler platter, for instance, is a monster mound of crisp conch fritters, grouper, calamari and spiral-cut fries. Other seafood options include lump crab cakes, raw oysters and clams. You'll also find pizzas (portobello, spinach Alfredo, shrimp scampi and jerk chicken are among the varieties), steaks, baby back ribs and burgers. A large outdoor deck features live music seven nights a week. ($$)

Feeder's Digest is a weekly compendium of Bay area restaurants visited anonymously and recommended by Tribune restaurant critics. Prices are per couple for three courses, with a glass of wine each (where applicable) before tip and taxes.

$ means $30 or less

$$ means $30 to $60

$$$ means more than $60

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